8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Got in a BIF from jdell15. 12 ounce can into tulip glass, best before 1/5/2018. Pours lightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, chocolate, banana, bubblegum, clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, candi sugar, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, chocolate, banana, bubblegum, clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy hop bitterness and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light banana/clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, candi sugar, and light earthy hop flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, with zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden; a lightly increasing warmth of 9% lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome dubbel style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, candi sugar, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. More of a BSDA at the alcohol level, but a spot on style example either way. Very complex and nicely rich. Perfectly balanced between yeast and malt flavors; well attenuated and never sweet/heavy feeling for the ABV. A really enjoyable offering, loved this one.